“Wine is 12 percent” is the number everyone carries around, and it is the number NIAAA uses for a standard drink, but the wine actually on the shelf runs from a legal minimum of 4.5 percent (Moscato d’Asti) to a legal maximum of 24 percent (the ceiling for anything called wine in the US), and a 5 oz glass of a 15 percent Zinfandel carries almost three times the alcohol of the same glass of Moscato. Here is where the alcohol comes from and why reds run higher, the federal thresholds that define table wine, dessert wine and fortified wine, the legal minimums and maximums for the appellations people actually buy, typical ranges by style, and a standard-drinks table so you can do the math for whatever is in your glass.
Last verified September 14, 2026. US definitions are quoted from 27 CFR 4.10, 4.21, 4.36 and 24.10 and from 26 USC 5041; appellation rules from the regulating bodies (IVDP, Consejo Regulador de Jerez, the Cava and Rioja pliegos, INAO, CVRVV, the Italian disciplinari via Italian Wine Central); fermentation figures from Oregon State, Texas A&M and Washington State university extension programs; the rising-alcohol data from Alston et al. in the Journal of Wine Economics; typical style ranges from Wine Folly; standard drinks from NIAAA; calories from USDA FoodData Central. Full list at the end.
| Alcohol in wine | Fact |
|---|---|
| Legal range for “wine” (US labeling) | 7% to 24% ABV (27 CFR 4.10) |
| Table wine | Grape wine at 14% or under; may be labeled “light wine” (27 CFR 4.21) |
| Dessert wine | Over 14% up to 24%; sherry types at least 17%, port and madeira types at least 18% |
| Lowest legal minimum cited | Moscato d’Asti DOCG, 4.5% (maximum 6.5%) |
| Highest unfortified minimum cited | Amarone DOCG, 14% |
| Fortified | Port usually 19 to 22%; Sherry at least 15% (fino) or 17% (oloroso); Madeira 17 to 22%; Marsala at least 17.5 or 18% |
| Where it comes from | About 16.8 g/L of grape sugar per 1% ABV (Oregon State); 22 Brix gives 12 to 13% (Texas A&M) |
| Standard drinks, 5 oz glass | 0.46 at 5.5%; 1.0 at 12%; 1.25 at 15%; 1.67 at 20% |
Where the alcohol comes from
Yeast turn grape sugar into ethanol and carbon dioxide, so the alcohol in a finished dry wine is set by how much sugar was in the grapes at harvest. Oregon State University’s extension formula is “(Glucose g/L + Fructose g/L) / 16.83 = Potential ethanol (% v/v),” about 16.8 grams of sugar per liter for every 1 percent of alcohol. Texas A&M puts it as “17-18 grams of sugar will generate 1 % alcohol,” so grapes at 22 degrees Brix (Brix being grams of sugar per 100 grams of juice, per 27 CFR 24.10) make a wine “between 12 and 13% alcohol.” US rules do not allow a winery to water the juice below 22 Brix (27 CFR 24.176).
| Brix at harvest | Sugar (approx.) | Potential ABV (÷ 16.83) | Potential ABV (÷ 17.5) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | 190 g/L | 11.3% | 10.9% |
| 21 | 210 g/L | 12.5% | 12.0% |
| 22 | 220 g/L | 13.1% | 12.6% |
| 24 | 240 g/L | 14.3% | 13.7% |
| 25 | 250 g/L | 14.9% | 14.3% |
Why reds run higher than whites
It is a harvest decision, not a fermentation one. Washington State University’s viticulture program gives ripeness targets of “ripe Sauvignon Blanc at 20-22 Brix, ripe Riesling perhaps as low as 19-21 Brix” against “ripe Merlot and Cabernet near 21-23 Brix,” and notes that each extra 1 to 2 Brix adds roughly 0.5 to 1.0 percent alcohol. Red grapes are also picked with an eye to the skins and seeds, whose tannins and color develop late in ripening (Texas A&M), which pushes harvest later and sugar higher. WineMaker magazine’s working figure for red grapes is 22 to 25 Brix at harvest. Run those through the table above and reds land near 13.5 to 15 percent, whites near 11.5 to 13.
The numbers have also moved. Alston, Fuller, Lapsley and Soleas (Journal of Wine Economics, 2011) tracked average California wine-grape sugar at crush from 21.4 Brix in 1980 to 21.8 in 1990 and 23.3 in 2008, “an increase of almost 7 percent over the most recent 18 years,” and Ontario liquor board lab tests showing California wine alcohol rising from 13.10 percent (1990) to 13.40 percent (2008). They found “the heat index did not exhibit any statistically significant growth” and put most of the rise down to longer hang times in pursuit of riper fruit. A 2015 follow-up by the same group found that labeled alcohol systematically understates measured alcohol.
The US legal thresholds
Two federal regimes define wine by alcohol, and they draw the lines in different places. The labeling rules (27 CFR 4.10) define wine as a product “containing not less than 7 percent and not more than 24 percent of alcohol by volume.” The tax rules (27 CFR 24.10) start lower: anything made in the manner of wine “containing not more than 24 percent,” with a product under 0.5 percent “not taxable as wine.” Both stop at 24; above that it is a spirit.
| Rule | Threshold | Text |
|---|---|---|
| 27 CFR 4.21(a)(2), table wine | 14% or under | “grape wine having an alcoholic content not in excess of 14 percent by volume. Such wine may also be designated as ‘light wine'” |
| 27 CFR 4.21(a)(3), dessert wine | Over 14% to 24% | “in excess of 14 percent but not in excess of 24 percent by volume”; sherry types “not less than 17 percent”; angelica, madeira, muscatel and port types “not less than 18 percent” |
| 27 CFR 4.21(g), aperitif wine (vermouth) | At least 15% | “compounded from grape wine containing added brandy or alcohol, flavored with herbs” |
| 27 CFR 4.21(b) and (c), sparkling and carbonated | No ABV line | Defined by whether the carbon dioxide came “solely from the fermentation of the wine within a closed container” or was added |
| 27 CFR 4.36, alcohol statement | Required over 14% | Optional at 14% or under if the label says “table wine” or “light wine”; tolerance ±1.5 points at 14% and under, ±1 point above |
| 27 CFR 24.225, wine spirits | Fermentation alcohol 14% max for ameliorated wine | Fortifying brandy must be from the same kind of fruit and distilled at not less than 140 proof |
Two things follow. “Dessert wine” on a US label is a legal class that starts at 14.01 percent, not a description of sweetness; a dry 15 percent Zinfandel is a dessert wine under 4.21. And a label reading 13.5 percent on a table wine is legally allowed to be anywhere from 12 to 14 percent (the ±1.5 tolerance stops at the 14 percent class line). The bottle-and-glass math, tolerances and pour sizes are in How Many Glasses of Wine Are in a Bottle.
Federal excise tax by alcohol class
The tax code (26 USC 5041) uses its own lines, and they changed recently: the base still-wine rate applied up to 14 percent until 2018, when the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act moved it to 16 percent, made permanent for wine removed after December 31, 2020. So a 15 percent wine is a “dessert wine” for labeling and a base-rate still wine for tax.
| Class | Definition | Tax per wine gallon | Per 750 mL bottle (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Still wine, 16% and under | 0.392 g CO2 per 100 mL or less | $1.07 | $0.21 |
| Still wine, over 16 to 21% | $1.57 | $0.31 | |
| Still wine, over 21 to 24% | $3.15 | $0.62 | |
| Artificially carbonated | CO2 injected | $3.30 | $0.65 |
| Naturally sparkling | CO2 from fermentation | $3.40 | $0.67 |
| Hard cider | 0.5 to 8.5%, apple or pear | $0.226 | $0.04 |
Rates are the federal rates on TTB’s tax and fee page as of September 14, 2026, before the small-producer credits ($1.00 on the first 30,000 gallons, then $0.90 and $0.535); state taxes are separate.
Legal minimums and maximums by appellation
Most European appellations set a minimum alcohol in their rules, and a few set a maximum. These are the regulatory figures, not averages; a bottle can be above the minimum, and the label will say by how much.
| Wine | Rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Moscato d’Asti DOCG | Minimum 4.5%, maximum 6.5% actual alcohol; the rest of the potential alcohol (11%) is left as sugar | Asti DOCG disciplinare (Italian Wine Central) |
| Asti DOCG spumante | Minimum 6% actual, 11.5% potential | Italian Wine Central |
| Vinho Verde DOC | 8% to 11.5% for the base wine; Alvarinho and sub-region wines from 9 or 11.5%; the ceiling for named varieties and sub-regions was raised to 14% in 2006 | CVRVV regulation, Art. 13 |
| Prosecco DOC | Minimum 10.5% total (still and frizzante), 11% (spumante) | Disciplinare (agraria.org) |
| Cava DOP | Finished wine 10.8% to 12.8%; base wine 9.5 to 11.5% | Consejo Regulador del Cava pliego, 2024 harvest |
| Champagne AOC | Finished wine capped at 13% total; a one-harvest derogation to 15% for 2026 was reported on September 9, 2026 (see note) | Cahier des charges via trade press; AFP |
| Rioja DOCa | Minimum 11.5% red, 10.5% white and rosé; Reserva and Gran Reserva 12% red | Consejo Regulador pliego, consolidated February 15, 2024 |
| Chianti DOCG | Minimum 11.5%; 12.5% for Superiore and Riserva | Italian Wine Central |
| Barolo DOCG | Minimum 13%; 38 months aging, 18 in wood | Italian Wine Central |
| Amarone della Valpolicella DOCG | Minimum 14% | Italian Wine Central |
| Sauternes AOC | Minimum 12% acquired, 15% natural (potential); at least 45 g/L residual sugar | INAO cahier des charges |
| German Prädikatswein | No chaptalization allowed; minimums are set as must weight, not ABV (Kabinett from about 73 Oechsle, Spätlese 85 in the Rheingau); Eiswein picked at −7 C or below | Deutsches Weininstitut; rheingau.de |
| Port DOP | “Usually between 19 and 22% vol.”; fermentation stopped by adding grape brandy | IVDP |
| Sherry DOP | Minimum 15% for fino and manzanilla, 17% for oloroso; since November 21, 2022 fortification is optional if the wine reaches the minimum naturally | Consejo Regulador de Jerez |
| Madeira DOP | 17 to 22%; fortified with 96% neutral wine alcohol | University of Madeira / IVBAM |
| Marsala DOC | Minimum 17.5% (Fine), 18% (all other categories) | Disciplinare (agraria.org) |
A note on Champagne: the 13 percent cap and the 2026 derogation are reported by AFP and the wine trade press; we did not read the INAO text itself, so treat the 15 percent figure as reported rather than confirmed.
Typical alcohol by style
The ranges below are Wine Folly’s, a trade reference rather than a regulation; the legal minimums above are the floor and the label is the answer for any given bottle.
| Band | Styles as Wine Folly lists them |
|---|---|
| Under 10% | Moscato d’Asti (5.5%), Brachetto d’Acqui (6.5%), Kabinett Riesling (8%), Spätlese Riesling (8.5%), light Alsace whites (9 to 10%), Muscadet (9.5%) |
| 10 to 11.5% | Muscadet, Touraine, Cheverny, Lambrusco, Soave, Gavi, Pinot Grigio, Grüner Veltliner |
| 11.5 to 13.5% | Bordeaux, Bourgogne, Champagne, Côtes du Rhône, Beaujolais, Chianti, Dolcetto, Barbera, Nebbiolo, rosé, Sauvignon Blanc; “many table wines fall between 11.5% and 13.5% ABV” |
| 13.5 to 15% | Chardonnay, Viognier, Petite Sirah, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Zinfandel, Grenache, Shiraz and Syrah, Pinotage, Malbec, Barolo, Amarone, Brunello, Nero d’Avola, Châteauneuf-du-Pape |
| 15% and above | Late-harvest dessert wines (15 to 17%), Sherry (15 to 20%), Port, Madeira and Marsala (about 20%) |
By grape, Wine Folly gives German Riesling 7 to 8 percent; Pinot Grigio 12 to 13; Sauvignon Blanc and Beaujolais 12.5 to 13; Pinot Noir and red Bordeaux 13 to 14; Chardonnay 13 to 14.5; Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and French Syrah 13.5 to 14.5; Malbec 13.5 to 15; Shiraz and Grenache 14 to 15; Zinfandel 14 to 15.5; Port, Madeira and Sherry 17 to 21.
Fortified wine: what it is and is not
Fortified wine is wine to which grape spirit has been added, either during fermentation to stop the yeast and keep the remaining sugar, as with Port, or after fermentation to raise the strength, as with Sherry. Sweet wines like Sauternes and Moscato d’Asti are not fortified; their sugar is what the yeast never finished. Under 27 CFR 24.225 the spirit must come from the same kind of fruit and be distilled at 140 proof or higher; 26 USC 5373 says the same. The port and madeira types must reach 18 percent and sherry types 17 percent to use those names on a US label, and nothing over 24 percent is wine at all. “Fortified” is about the added spirit, not the number: a 15 percent Zinfandel is not fortified, and a 15 percent fino Sherry may be. Vermouth is a fortified, aromatized wine at 15 percent or more; wine coolers and other “wine products” sit at the other end of the scale, and we cover those at Wine Coolers: What They Are.
Standard drinks by ABV
NIAAA’s standard drink is 0.6 fl oz (17.7 mL) of pure alcohol, which it gives as 5 oz of wine at 12 percent. For any other wine: ounces × ABV ÷ 0.6 per glass, or 750 × ABV ÷ 17.7 per bottle.
| ABV | Example | Per 5 oz glass | Per 750 mL bottle | Per 3 oz fortified pour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5.5% | Moscato d’Asti | 0.46 | 2.3 | |
| 7% | Asti; Kabinett Riesling | 0.58 | 3.0 | |
| 9% | Vinho Verde; light Alsace whites | 0.75 | 3.8 | |
| 11% | Cava; Prosecco spumante minimum | 0.92 | 4.7 | |
| 12% | NIAAA reference wine | 1.00 | 5.1 | |
| 13% | Barolo minimum; Chianti Superiore | 1.08 | 5.5 | |
| 14% | Amarone minimum; US table-wine ceiling | 1.17 | 5.9 | |
| 15% | Zinfandel; fino Sherry minimum | 1.25 | 6.3 | 0.75 |
| 16% | Federal base-rate tax ceiling | 1.33 | 6.8 | 0.80 |
| 18% | Marsala; port-type minimum | 1.50 | 7.6 | 0.90 |
| 20% | Port | 1.67 | 8.5 | 1.00 |
So three 5 oz glasses of a 15 percent Zinfandel are 3.75 standard drinks; three glasses of an 11 percent Prosecco are 2.75; and a 3 oz pour of 20 percent Port is exactly one, which is why the fortified glass is smaller.
Calories
USDA FoodData Central lists table wines per 5 fl oz and dessert wines per 3.5 fl oz. Nearly all of the calories in a dry wine are the alcohol (about 7 per gram), which is why a 14 percent red has more than a 9 percent white even with no sugar in either.
| USDA entry (FDC ID) | Calories per 100 g | Alcohol g per 100 g | Sugar g per 100 g | Per serving |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wine, table, red (173190) | 85 | 10.6 | 0.6 | 125 per 5 fl oz |
| Wine, table, white (174837) | 82 | 10.3 | 1.0 | 121 per 5 fl oz |
| Wine, rosé (171908) | 83 | 9.6 | 3.8 | 122 per 5 fl oz |
| Wine, dessert, sweet (173176) | 160 | 15.3 | 7.8 | 165 per 3.5 fl oz |
| Wine, dessert, dry (175112) | 152 | 15.3 | 1.1 | 157 per 3.5 fl oz |
The USDA pages were checked through a mirror of the SR Legacy database on the date above, since the FoodData Central site itself was not reachable.
Frequently asked questions
What is the average alcohol content of wine? There is no single figure. Wine Folly’s note is that “many table wines fall between 11.5% and 13.5% ABV”; NIAAA uses 12 percent for its standard drink; legal minimums run from 4.5 percent (Moscato d’Asti) to 14 percent (Amarone) and fortified wines from 15 to 22.
Does red wine have more alcohol than white? Usually. Red grapes are picked riper (21 to 23 Brix or more against 19 to 22 for whites, per Washington State University), and every extra 1 to 2 Brix is roughly another 0.5 to 1 percent alcohol.
What is the legal maximum alcohol for wine? 24 percent by volume in the US, under both the labeling rules (27 CFR 4.10) and the tax code (26 USC 5041). Above that it is a distilled spirit.
What does “table wine” mean on a label? Grape wine at 14 percent or under (27 CFR 4.21). At that level the exact alcohol statement is optional, and if it is printed it may be off by up to 1.5 points either way.
Is a 15 percent wine fortified? Not necessarily. Fortified means grape spirit was added. A 15 percent Zinfandel got there from ripe grapes; a 15 percent fino Sherry may or may not have been fortified since 2022. In US labeling terms both are “dessert wines” because they are over 14 percent.
How many standard drinks are in a bottle of wine? 750 × ABV ÷ 17.7: 5.1 at 12 percent, 5.9 at 14 percent, 8.5 for a bottle of 20 percent Port.
Why has wine gotten stronger? California grapes were crushed at an average 21.4 Brix in 1980 and 23.3 in 2008 (Alston et al.), and the researchers attribute the rise mainly to longer hang times rather than to climate.
Sources
- eCFR: 27 CFR 4.10, Definitions, 27 CFR 4.21, Standards of identity, 27 CFR 24.10, Meaning of terms, 27 CFR 24.176, Crushing and fermentation and 27 CFR 24.225, Wine spirits, checked September 14, 2026
- Cornell LII: 26 USC 5041, Imposition and rate of tax, 26 USC 5373, Wine spirits; TTB, Tax and fee rates, checked September 14, 2026
- Oregon State University Extension, EM 9583 (Osborne, 2023), Texas A&M AgriLife, Winemaking for Grape Growers (Botezatu, 2021), Washington State University Viticulture and Enology, Late ripening and WineMaker, Determining ripeness, checked September 14, 2026
- Alston, Fuller, Lapsley and Soleas, Too Much of a Good Thing? Journal of Wine Economics 6(2), 2011 and Alston et al., Splendide Mendax, JWE 10(3), 2015, checked September 14, 2026
- Appellation bodies: IVDP, Port wines; Consejo Regulador de Jerez, dry sherry wines and recent regulatory changes; University of Madeira / IVBAM, Madeira wine practices; Consejo Regulador del Cava, pliego 2024; Rioja DOCa pliego (2024); INAO, Sauternes cahier des charges; CVRVV, Vinho Verde regulation and 2006 ceiling change; Deutsches Weininstitut, Prädikate and rheingau.de, checked September 14, 2026
- Italian disciplinari: Asti DOCG, Prosecco DOC, Chianti DOCG, Barolo DOCG, Amarone DOCG and Marsala DOC (Italian Wine Central); Prosecco and Marsala disciplinare texts (agraria.org), checked September 14, 2026
- Champagne: Union des Maisons de Champagne, definition and law, Vinetur, September 3, 2026 and AFP via phys.org, September 2026, checked September 14, 2026
- Wine Folly, Alcohol content in wine and The lightest to the strongest wine, checked September 14, 2026
- NIAAA, What is a standard drink; USDA FoodData Central 173190 (red), 174837 (white), 171908 (rosé), 173176 (dessert, sweet) and 175112 (dessert, dry), checked September 14, 2026 via mirror
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